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Author
Topic: OJ gets up to 33 years (Read 3139 times)

LAS VEGAS - A broken O.J. Simpson was sentenced Friday to as much as 33 years in prison for a hotel armed robbery after a judge rejected his apology and said, "It was much more than stupidity." The 61-year-old football Hall of Famer stood shackled and stone-faced as Judge Jackie Glass rattled off the punishment. Moments before, Simpson made a rambling, five-minute plea for leniency, simultaneously apologizing for the holdup as a foolish mistake and trying to justify his actions. He choked back tears as he told her: "I didn't want to steal anything from anyone. ... I'm sorry, sorry." Simpson said he was simply trying to retrieve sports memorabilia and other mementos, including his first wife's wedding ring, from two dealers when he stormed a Las Vegas hotel room on Sept. 13, 2007. But the judge emphasized that it was a violent confrontation in which at least one gun was drawn, and she said someone could have been shot. She said the evidence was overwhelming, with the planning, the confrontation itself and the aftermath all recorded on audio or videotape. Glass, a no-nonsense judge known for her tough sentences, imposed such a complex series of consecutive and concurrent sentences that even many attorneys watching the case were confused as to how much time Simpson got. Simpson could serve up to 33 years but could be eligible for parole after nine years, according to Elana Roberto, the judge's clerk. The judge said several times that her sentence in the Las Vegas case had nothing to do with Simpson's 1995 acquittal in the slaying of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. "I'm not here to try and cause any retribution or any payback for anything else," Glass said. Simpson was immediately led away to prison after the judge refused to permit him to go free on bail while he appeals. Simpson's co-defendant and former golfing buddy, Clarence "C.J. Stewart, also was sentenced to at least 15 years. 'A bittersweet moment'Outside court, Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, and sister, Kim, said they were delighted with the sentence. "We are thrilled, and it's a bittersweet moment," Fred Goldman said. "It was satisfying seeing him in shackles like he belongs." The Goldmans took a measure of credit for Simpson's fate, saying their relentless pursuit of his assets to satisfy a $33.5 million wrongful-death judgment "pushed him over the edge" and led him to commit the robbery to recover some of his sports memorabilia. Simpson and Stewart were both brought to the courtroom in dark blue jail uniforms, their hands shackled to their waists with chains. Simpson, who looked weary and had not been expected to speak, delivered a somber statement to the judge. As he spoke in a hoarse voice, the courtroom was hushed. His two sisters, Shirley Baker and Carmelita Durio, sat in the front row of the courtroom, along with his adult daughter. 'Not bright, not smart'Both men were convicted Oct. 3 of 12 criminal charges, including kidnapping and armed robbery. "As stupid and as ill-conceived as it was, it wasn't something that was from this evil mind they teach us about," Simpson attorney Yale Galanter said before sentencing. "Not bright, not smart, not well thought out, but certainly not from an evil mind," Galanter said. Most of the 63 seats in the courtroom were taken by media, lawyers and family members of the defendants. Fifteen members of the public were also allowed. After sentencing was over, the Goldmans left the courtroom and Kim threw her arms around her father and wept. Simpson's sisters declined to comment, but Shirley Baker said on her way out: "It's not over." Jurors who heard 13 days of testimony said after the verdict that they were convinced of Simpson's guilt because of audio recordings that were secretly made of the Sept. 13, 2007, robbery at the Palace Station casino hotel. The confrontation involved sports memorabilia brokers Alfred Beardsley and Bruce Fromong. It was recorded by collectibles dealer Thomas Riccio, who was acting as middleman. "Don't let nobody out of this room!" Simpson commands on the recordings, and instructs other men to scoop up items he insists had been stolen from him. On Tuesday, Glass is scheduled to sentence four former co-defendants who took plea deals and testified against Simpson and Stewart. Michael McClinton, Charles Cashmore, Walter Alexander and Charles Ehrlich could receive probation or prison time. McClinton could get up to 11 years; the others face less.

You guys should go and listen to his apology.. D

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Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. Calvin Coolidge

I know people are supposed to be compassionate and all but I have a tough time feeling sorry for O.J .Simpson, even if the sentence for this particular crime does seem as if it is a response to the not guilty verdict 13 years ago. Sorry but that's just the way it is.

Jody

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"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world". "Try to discover that you are the song that the morning brings."

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Yeah I'll be compassionate.I'm sorry he walked the planet this past 13 years.I'm sorry the "system" let him get away with murder.Yesterday i did the "dance of joy", watching that MUTHA FUCKER get nailed, and sent away.Last night i sat down with my "old friend" Jack, and had a drink to celebrate. Here's to you O.J. ( its nice to be nice) Lucas

I'm "sorry" he did not accept the plea deal.I'm "sorry" he was such a arrogant bastard he thought no way would they ever put him away.I hope the accommodations are to your liking "Mr Simpson".I think it would nice if they give him a calender with pictures of all his favorite golf courses on it.Old Lucas hopes you enjoy your stay.

If you can copy and paste the text, you can copy and past the URL. Please do so. One should always credit and link back to the article's origin. It's plagiarism otherwise.

Ann

Ann thank you so much for pointing out my mistake. I forgot to post the link. Unfortunately, I can't find the exact story again, but it came from the associated press and MSNBC... I also want to be sure you know what plagiarism is, because that is a pretty serious accusation.

What is PlagiarismMany people think of plagiarism as copying another's work, or borrowing someone else's original ideas. But terms like "copying" and "borrowing" can disguise the seriousness of the offense:

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to "plagiarize" meansto steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own to use (another's production) without crediting the source to commit literary theft to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source. In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward.

LAS VEGAS (Dec. 5) - A weary and beaten-looking O.J. Simpson was put away Friday for at least nine years — and perhaps the rest of his life — for an armed robbery in a hotel room, bringing a measure of satisfaction to those who believed the football star got away with murder more than a decade ago.The 61-year-old Hall of Famer listened stone-faced, his wrists in shackles, as Judge Jackie Glass pronounced the sentence — 33 years behind bars with eligibility for parole after less than a third of that.Moments before, Simpson made a rambling, five-minute plea for leniency, simultaneously apologizing for the holdup as a foolish mistake and trying to justify his actions.He choked back tears as he told her: "I didn't mean to steal anything from anybody ... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of it."The judge said several times that her sentence in the Las Vegas case had nothing to do with Simpson's 1995 acquittal in the slaying of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman."I'm not here to try and cause any retribution or any payback for anything else," Glass said.But Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, and sister, Kim, said they were delighted with the sentence."We are thrilled, and it's a bittersweet moment," Fred Goldman said. "It was satisfying seeing him in shackles like he belongs."Simpson said he and five other men were simply trying to retrieve sports memorabilia and other mementos when he stormed a Las Vegas hotel room occupied by two dealers on Sept. 13, 2007. He insisted the items, which included his first wife's wedding ring, had been stolen from him.But the judge emphasized that it was a violent confrontation in which at least one gun was drawn, and she said someone could have been shot. She said the evidence was overwhelming, with the planning, the confrontation itself and the aftermath all recorded on audio or videotape.Glass, a no-nonsense judge known for tough sentences, imposed such a complex series of consecutive and concurrent sentences that even many lawyers watching the case were confused as to how much time Simpson got.Simpson could serve up to 33 years, according to Elana Roberto, the judge's clerk.In state prison, he will remain in his own cell protected from the general prison population because of his celebrity.Simpson's lawyer suggested again that his client was a victim of payback for his acquittal in Los Angeles."It really made us all aware that despite our best efforts, it's very difficult to separate the California case from the Nevada case," attorney Yale Galanter said.Some people who followed the case said justice had finally caught up with Simpson."You do things and you've got to expect karma to come around," said Greg Wheatley, 32, of Los Angeles.Simpson was led away to prison immediately after the judge refused to permit him to go free on bail while he appeals.Simpson's co-defendant and former golfing buddy, Clarence "C.J. Stewart, was sentenced to up to 27 years in prison but would be eligible for parole after 7˝ years, court officials said.The judge could have sent both men to prison for the rest of their lives. The state parole agency recommended at least 18 years. The defense pushed for the minimum six years.District Attorney David Roger revealed that Simpson and Stewart had both been offered plea agreements during the trial that would have resulted in lesser sentences. He would not provide details.The prosecutor also said that because the crimes were considered violent felonies, Simpson and Stewart will not be eligible for good-behavior credits to lessen their sentences. He did not expect them to be immediately released when they do seek parole.The Goldmans took a share of the credit for Simpson's fate, saying their relentless pursuit of his assets to satisfy a $33.5 million wrongful-death judgment "pushed him over the edge" and led him to commit the robbery to recover some of his valuable sports memorabilia.Nicole Brown Simpson's sister, Denise Brown, released a statement from her family referring to the date her sister and Ron Goldman were killed."Allowing wealth, power and control to consume himself, he made a horrific choice on June 12, 1994, which has spiraled into where he is today," the statement said.Simpson and Stewart were both brought to the courtroom in dark blue jail uniforms, their hands chained to their waists. Simpson, who had not been expected to speak, delivered his statement to the judge in a hoarse voice before a hushed courtroom.Both men were convicted Oct. 3 of 12 criminal charges, including kidnapping and armed robbery."We were preparing Mr. Simpson for the worst," Galanter said. "We felt we did really well. Obviously, he's upset about the possibility of doing nine years."Galanter planned to file a notice of appeal later Friday. He believed the Goldman family's presence in the courtroom was inappropriate.Most of the 63 seats in the courtroom were taken by media, lawyers and family members of the defendants. Fifteen members of the public were also allowed.After sentencing was over, the Goldmans left the courtroom and Kim threw her arms around her father and wept.One of Simpson's sisters declined to comment, and the other, Shirley Baker, said only: "It's not over."Jurors who heard 13 days of testimony said after the verdict that they were convinced of Simpson's guilt because of audio recordings that were secretly made of the robbery at the Palace Station casino hotel.The confrontation involved sports memorabilia brokers Alfred Beardsley and Bruce Fromong. It was recorded by collectibles dealer Thomas Riccio, who was acting as middleman."Don't let nobody out of this room!" Simpson commands on the recordings, and he instructs other men to scoop up items.On Tuesday, the judge is scheduled to sentence four former co-defendants who took plea deals and testified against Simpson and Stewart.Michael McClinton, Charles Cashmore, Walter Alexander and Charles Ehrlich could receive probation or prison time. McClinton could get up to 11 years; the others face less.Associated Press writers Ken Ritter and Kathleen Hennessey contributed to this report.

Have the best day... D

Logged

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. Calvin Coolidge

I think OJ wife and her bf was killed by drug dealers. However, this recent crime was a set-up plane and simple. OJ was too stupid, too drunk, or too high or too whatever to realize he was being suckered into a plot to put him in jail. Besides if he could only cohort with criminals, he deverses what he got.

I remembered Johnny Cockring as defense attorney from the first trial but, I forgot about Kardashian and was wondering who Kim Kardashian was and why she was referred to as a Star on my comcast home page... She is the daughter and was/ or is on Dancing With The Stars. I miss the old days when Orange County girls like Michelle Pfeiffer had talent Have the best dayMichael